It’s been months since my last post. Anyway, one would think that in our pandemic life that I should have more time to write things here, but I guess either I’m too easily distracted, or (more likely) the act of sharing news on my blog just seemed too unnecessary in the current climate. We also contracted covid earlier this fall, which set me and my family back quite a bit, so I’m trying to catch up.

So here are a few recent highlights. I hope you forgive me the self-indulgence.

New poetry video

My daughter and her boyfriend, both graduates of NYU’s Tish drama program, have started making their own videos (a pandemic is a lousy time to be an actor), and their most recent project was a video of my poem The Happiness of Dogs. I hope you like it.

Here’s the text of the poem:

The Happiness of Dogs

is not like the happiness of people,
clung with doubt and ledger,
accounts due and paid.

At the door or gate they’re all tremor
and wag, eye tooth and eye
for joy of green grass, frayed

energy, leash and lap, for
pat or play, games played out
into the pond, the stalk and chase,

instinctual as a grin, to catch or run—
because they know something
we don’t. They know it in their

bones, in the roots of their
teeth, the howl building in the back
of their throats all day, waiting

to signal the night to other dogs,
that the happiness of dogs
is life itself—every wet shake

after rain and every lazy moment
rolling on warm grass. What moments
not measured in time or money

are made of. The happiness of dogs
is why we keep them around us,
the animal we wish we could be.

New review of Muddy Dragon

Liz Chang wrote a review of my latest book, Muddy Dragon on the Road to Heaven, in Philadelphia Stories Magazine. Please read the review here.

New poetry prompt

My latest poetry prompt article is available on Philadelphia Stories Magazine. You can read it here. To see more of these be sure to subscribe to the magazine’s newsletter (it’s free).

Another poetry video

The same team who made the dog video, also made one from my poem Last, though they call the video Exodus. It’s a bit darker than the dog poem. I think their filmwork is damn impressive.

Another poetry prompt article

This one uses a popular internet meme style as a way to begin a poem. I hope you like it. Read it here.

Interview about my latest book

Curtis Smith interviewed me about Muddy Dragon on the Road to Heaven. The interview appeared on JMWW and you can read it here.

Poem

My poem Making Tomato Sauce with My Daughter was published by New Verse News way back in May. You can read it here.